Continental tests 'self-boarding' at Houston airport

I can only imagine the mad rush to be the first one on board to cram all their carry-ons into the overhead bins, hogging the aisles so no one can get past. Customer service has gone to hell!

I propose a large hydraulic ram on the cockpit door. This can be used to motivate the woman I traveled with last month who chose to repack her suitcase in the aisle while other folks were held up boarding. But seriously folks, my son who lives in New Zealand, says it works very well.

Welcome to era of the "Air Greyhound".....

No more customer service, huh.

Its not like you have customer service now. Boarding agents most of time do not do their job anyway.

Will their fare decrease in proportion?

The airlines are doing away with the human factor. No agents.

Have not been pivy to this yet but it must be utter cayous with no agents to help control the mad dash to be first !!

OK, people i think we need to think about this more. Isn't there still assigned seating? In that case there will be no "mad dash". If they were smart with the system they would have an automated attendant calling boarding groups. IF your boarding pass doesn't have that boarding group you get a big fat ERROR, go back and sit down. I've seen some REALLY bad boarding processing on very full flights. Worse than the WN "mad dash". I think this is a great idea.

It is hoped the gate agents freed from this task will now be able to help with the other business at the podium, rather than be downsized.

Hmmm... This airtran commercial probably describes it pretty well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6DdDlPT4Uc